Severian the Alzabo?

aaron · 16 May 2008, 22:55 · from 2008-May.txt.gz

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From: aaronsingleton at gmail.com (aaron)
Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 18:55:17 -0400
Subject: (urth) Severian the Alzabo?
In-Reply-To: <482d19f6.ab.11c4.24171 at mail.rochester.edu>
References: <482d19f6.ab.11c4.24171 at mail.rochester.edu>
Message-ID: <ecbb2eb0805161555j21d0b06bp8303bbf04dfec973 at mail.gmail.com>

Very interesting.  I had not read that Wolfe quote until now.  I learn
something new about The Book every day it seems.

On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 1:21 AM, dcooperv <dcooperv at mail.rochester.edu>
wrote:

> Howdy, I'm a fairly new subscriber, though I've read a bit of the archives.
> Anyway, I don't have any deep insights to share, but here's an interesting
> bit I
> found.
> In his interview with Larry McCaffery
> (http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/interviews/wolfe46interview.htm), Wolfe says:
> "The Alzabo is a monster, sure; but it's something many people fear a great
> deal
> when they work for a major corporation: we fear we'll be swallowed by
> Procter
> and Gamble, become just a cog in its innards or so much a company man that
> we'll
> be just a voice coming out of its mouth."
> This I think sums up the psychological appeal (for lack of a better term)
> of the
> Alzabo and similar monsters (body-snatchers, Star Trek's Borg, et cetera).
> Compare this with the idea in Helioscope (IIRC), that the fear engendered
> by the
> figure of the torturer isn't just the fear of being tortured, but also "the
> fear
> of being made to be a torturer."
> Likewise, we have Dorcas's warning in Claw (don't have my copy at hand, but
> it's
> while they're camped out at the House Absolute), "People don't want to let
> other
> people be people," or words to that effect.
> This was just a neat little motif I found running through the work. Can any
> of
> you add to this? Hopefully I can spark some discussion.
>
> All the best,
> Dan Vince
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>
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